My invention relates to methods of inhibiting from feeding the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) from a surface or volume inhabited by such insect species using as an anti-feedant composition materials known as "GERANIOL COEUR.TM." (trademark of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.) defined according to the GLC profiles of FIGS. 4 and 5 and produced according to Examples, I and II, infra (also set forth herein as "geraniol-containing or geraniol-containing mixtures").
The "GERANIOL COEUR.TM." used in my invention comprises:
(i) from about 0 up to about 20% by weight of nerol; PA1 (ii) from about 20 up to about 40% by weight of citronellol; and PA1 (iii) from about 50 up to about 70% by weight of geraniol. PA1 (i) Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus) (commonly known as the horn fly); and PA1 (ii) Solenopsis invicta Buren (commonly known as the "red imported fire ant") PA1 (i) from about 0 up to about 20% by weight of nerol; PA1 (ii) from about 20 up to about 40% by weight of citronellol; and PA1 (iii) from about 50 up to about 70% by weight of geraniol, PA1 (i) from about 0 up to about 20% by weight of nerol; PA1 (ii) from about 20 up to about 40% by weight of citronellol; and PA1 (iii) from about 50 up to about 70% by weight of geraniol PA1 (i) in the form of an aerosol wherein the GERANIOL COEUR.TM. is incorporated into a standard aerosol formulation at the level of 0.05% up to about 5%; and PA1 (ii) in a non-toxic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene or polypropylene at the levels of from about 1.0% of GERANIOL COEUR.TM. up to about 45% by weight of the polymer mixture of GERANIOL COEUR.TM.. PA1 (i) a method for repelling German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) from a surface or volume inhabited by said German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) consisting of the step of applying to said surface or said volume a Blattella germanica-repelling quantity and concentration of GERANIOL COEUR.TM. defined according to one of the spectra of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 or a mixture thereof; and PA1 (ii) an anti-feedant composition for inhibiting the feeding by said Blattella germanica from a feeding place which can be a skin surface or any other place where Blattella germanica feed, such as a food composition containing ingredients which attract, for the purpose of feeding, said Blattella germanica.
The GERANIOL COEUR.TM. used as an anti-feedant against such insect species can either be natural GERANIOL COEUR.TM. or synthetic GERANIOL COEUR.TM.. Such GERANIOL COEUR.TM. compositions of matter contain a large number of additional chemicals, a number of which may be active in combination with the major components of the GERANIOL COEUR.TM., namely, the nerol, citronellol and geraniol and trace amounts of other materials.
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is known to cause health problems among various mammalian species and is a well known insect pest. Accordingly, a need exists for inhibiting from feeding such insect species, the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), from surfaces or volumes which are inhabited by such species and which are proximate the living space of mammalian species such as Homo sapiens.
GERANIOL COEUR.TM., both synthetic and natural, is described for use in repelling fire ants and horn flies in U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,686 issued on May 19, 1998, the specification for which is incorporated herein by reference. Described in said U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,686 is a method for repelling at least one of the insect species:
from a surface or volume inhabited by at least one of said insect species consisting of the step of applying to said surface or said volume a "red imported fire ant" and/or horn fly-repelling quantity and concentration of a geraniol-containing mixture comprising:
which geraniol-containing mixture is defined according to specific GLC profiles, to wit, those set forth in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the instant specification.
Citronellol (both the "d" isomer and the "I" isomer) are described as weak repellents for the yellow-fever mosquito and Aedes aegypti in CHEMICALS EVALUATED AS INSECTICIDES AND REPELLENTS AT ORLANDO, FLA., King, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research, Agriculture Handbook No. 69, at page 120 (Items 3441 and 3442) (published May 1954).
"Geraniol" and various fractions of Java Citronella oil also described as "geraniol" are stated in the King reference at page 179 to be yellow-fever repellents and repellents for Aedes aegypti. Reference is made to Items 5366 ("geraniol"); 5371 ("geraniol, first fraction of Java Citronella oil"); 5372 ("geraniol, second fraction of Java Citronella oil"); 5373 ("geraniol, last fraction of Java Citronella oil"); and 5374 ("geraniol, last fraction, high boiling, Java Citronella oil").
On the other hand, Beroza and Green, MATERIALS TESTED AS INSECT ATTRACTANTS, Agriculture Handbook No. 239, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, June 1963, discloses 3,7-dimethyl octanol-1 having the strucuture: ##STR1##
(Item 2883) as being an attractant for the oriental fruit fly, the melon fly and the Mediterranean fruit fly at a level of "1" on a scale of "1-3". The Beroza and Green reference also describes isomers of citronellol and geraniol as having attractancy for various insect species including the pink bollworm and the boll weevil. Thus, Items 2894, 2895 and 2875 for compounds having the structures: ##STR2##
are shown by Beroza and Green to have weak attractancies for the oriental fruit fly, the melon fly, the Mediterranean fruit fly, the Mexican fruit fly, the gypsy moth, drosophila, the peak bollworm and the boll weevil at levels of "1" or "2" on a scale of "1-3".
Nothing in the prior art, however, teaches the inhibition from feeding against the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) of GERANIOL COEUR.TM. either natural or synthetic, and nothing in the prior art infers such anti-feedant properties.